From Cake to Coke

François Payard’s Epiphany cake, or galette des rois, comes with more than a hidden good-luck charm. His stunning puff pastry with frangipane filling has a layer of chocolate ganache, made from a new Valrhona chocolate called Nkwanta, named for the village in Ghana where the cacao comes from, and where Valrhona is helping support drilling of wells for clean water: Chocolate Galette des Rois, about 12 inches in diameter, $55, available through Monday at FP Patisserie, 1293 Third Avenue (74th Street), 212-717-5252.

To Learn: Read It in the Shade of a Teeny Umbrella

With his new encyclopedic and entertaining “Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean,” the tiki expert Jeff Berry distills 500 years of tropical-drink history into 300-plus pages. He takes you from the days of pirates, explorers and sugar plantations to the adventures of those twin purveyors of Polynesian fantasy, Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic, not to mention the forgotten career of the master tiki barman Joe Scialom, who seems to have worked in every swank postwar bar in New York. Among the book’s 77 cocktail recipes are some never before published: $34.95, Cocktail Kingdom. ROBERT SIMONSON

To Simmer: Like a Slow Cooker Without the Plug

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The Wonderbag.CreditTony Cenicola/The New York Times

The Wonderbag is big and cumbersome, about the size of a dog bed, and hardly suggests an efficient appliance. But put a pot of stew or soup that has boiled on high heat for 15 minutes inside, and the insulated bag functions like a slow cooker without calling on additional energy. You can free up a burner or oven space for a party. A pot of chili can simmer in the trunk of the car as you drive to the slopes for the weekend. It was designed for developing countries where energy is precious, and when you buy one, another one will be donated to a family in rural Africa, where more than a half-million Wonderbags have been distributed: $50, amazon.com.

To Nibble: Crisper Than Al Dente: Italian Pasta Chips

A plate of lightly baked squares of pasta dough drizzled with olive oil at a Tuscan trattoria inspired Jerry Bello, a pharmacist turned food entrepreneur, to introduce his own version. His semolina-flour chips, in sea salt, garlic-olive oil, marinara, tomato-basil and Alfredo flavors, are sturdy enough to use for dips and spreads: Vintage Italia Pasta Chips come in 5-ounce bags and sell for around $4 from pastachips.com.

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CreditTony Cenicola/The New York Times

To Indulge: A Japanese Take On New England Pies

Akiko Hirano, a baker and teacher who has been selling New England-style pies at her bakeries in Japan for many years, has now added one in New York. Ms. Hirano learned the technique about 18 years ago, when she studied with Cheryl Jean, a pastry chef she met after pursuing a graduate degree in fine arts at Eastern Connecticut State University. Rich crusts that shatter at the touch of a fork enclose fillings of apple, banana cream, chocolate cream, apple custard and others sold whole and by the slice. Another specialty is ethereal made-to-order Japanese chiffon pancakes, cooked by Aya Yamamoto, the chef, served with maple sauce and toppings including caramel, red bean and vanilla: Matsunosuke, 58 West Eighth Street, 212-529-5888.

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CreditEvan Sklar/The New York Times

To Appreciate: Enjoy the Bouquet of a Classic Coke

Pinot noir, viognier, sangiovese. Coca-Cola: Riedel, the Austrian glassware maker that has been creating the glass to match the grape for decades, has just introduced a glass commissioned by the soft drink giant. “Coca-Cola recommends drinking from the original glass bottle, and this shape suggests it,” said Georg J. Riedel, who heads the 250-year-old company. “We brought 18 glasses to the tasting panel in Atlanta and our sauvignon blanc glass seemed best, so we fine-tuned that bowl shape to form the glass.” It’s Riedel’s first for a nonalcoholic drink: Riedel Coca-Cola glass, $29 for two, $19 for one, riedel.com, cocacolacompany.com.

To Serve: These Pears Grow Near Their Partners

Tall and slender Abate Fetel pears are being imported from Italy for the first time. Light green with some russeting, the fruit is fairly firm, like a Bosc pear, and acquires a honey flavor and aroma as it ripens. The pears were developed by a French abbot, Fetel, in the mid-19th century but seem to be happiest growing in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Can it be coincidence that products from that region, like prosciutto di Parma, Parmesan and even a drizzle of fine balsamic vinegar, are worthy partners for the pears? $1.99 a pound at Fairway markets.